Outlive Me: Thirty Years of Poems and Writings [Paperback]

Arnie Goldman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2005

This book is a collection of thirty years of poems and writings from Arnie Goldman, who went to work for his father during college and stayed at the same company for 27 years. These poems and writings capture the passage of time and speak about love, fear, work, wonder, death, loss, and gratitude.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Arnie is the author of Five Fathers and Outlive Me: Thirty Years of Poems and Writings. He is the President of IDN-Hardware Sales, Inc., a distributor of door and security hardware with ten locations in five states. He is married with three children and lives in Southeastern Michigan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (October 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419615254
• ISBN-13: 978-1419615252
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,621,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Why Not Review One's Own Book?, October 12, 2006

By 

Arnie Goldman "g...man" (Livonia, MI United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Outlive Me: Thirty Years of Poems and Writings (Paperback)

Okay, so I'm not Jack Dunn or Harry Shventek, excited after buying "Outlive Me" and wanting to see my review in print. No, I'm the author and am tired of waiting for anyone to write a single review. Anyone. Just one review.

So I'm going to write my own review. Heck, it's taken me thirty years to write this book (give or take all the years I didn't write in between) and I'd like to say something about the book. I really do think it's good. Am I biased? YES! But so is everyone who is asked to read a book and write a review on the back cover.

So here goes:
"Outlive Me: Thirty Years of Poems and Writings" is one of the finest books ever written and certainly the best book yet by this author. Okay, it may not be Shakespeare, Robert Frost, or even Mitch Albom, but it's a pretty good book, if I do say so myself. And many readers I know have told me they think it's good, some have said it's great, yet none of them have written any reviews on amazon. Why? Maybe they're lying and really hate the book after all.

The book begins in my years in college and includes "Ghosts of the Fathers," a set of poems that won the Wayne State University Tompkins Award for Undergraduate Poetry. There are a few stories and essays in this book but mostly, there are poems. If you don't like poetry, stay away from "Outlive Me," though the poems are easier to digest and understand than typical modern poetry.

"Outlive Me" does include some very good poems in my humble opinion. Standouts include the Holocaust poem, "After the Fact," and "The Echoes of the Dead," which imagined my Zadeh's impending death.
Many of the best poems were written after my brother's death in 1982 (the book was dedicated to him,) including "Mother" from 1986, "Echo" from 1988, and "Kenny's Song" from 1990.

There are poems about working, a letter written to Fred and Kim Goldman, father to Ron Goldman who I believe was killed by O.J. Simpson, and a piece about the stock market crash, "Tax Season." A poem about my acoustic neuroma tumor and Detroit, "Crack," are included as well.
I truly believe that the final five poems in the book, "Down," "Groomsman," "Outlive Me," "Permanent," and "Namesake," are the best pieces in the entire collection.

Hopefully, someone else will write a review of this book or maybe my next book, "Five Fathers."

Anyways, this book's proceeds do go to four charitable organizations, so even if you don't like "Outlive Me," you'll know your money is going to a good cause.